Apple Tasks Retail Store Employees to Help Improve iOS 6 Maps

After receiving widespread criticism, it was reported that managers of Apple Retail Stores are asking their employees to report errors regarding the iOS 6 Maps.

As reported by ifoAppleStore’s Gary Allen, the voluntary initiative indicates that the company is hoping to improve its mapping services with the help of its over 40,000 employees. However, he noted that not every Apple Store employee can afford an iPhone. It is also questionable whether every staff could “really put a dent in Maps app errors.”

iOS 6 Maps: A Work in Progress

Following the release of iOS 6, Apple’s new Maps application received rants because of a few defects. This includes incorrect positioning data, poor routing, and Flyover rendering issues. It also lacks Street View and Transit Direction. Because of this, the iOS 6 Maps is considered as inferior to the product that it replaced: the Google Maps.

Because of this, the company issues a statement last September, saying that it was working hard to correct any issues present on Maps. The iPhone maker also added that it has its Maps team “under lockdown” in order to fix a couple of larger errors that were discovered at launch.

In relation to this, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology last week, saying that they are doing everything they can to “make Maps better.”

At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to out customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

The CEO also noted that the new application will improve through time, as users can report errors regarding the Maps service. As stated by company spokesperson Trudy Miller:

Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map services … We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover, turn-by-turn navigation, and Siri integration. We launched this new app service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get.

Additionally, Cook recommended a number of potential alternatives that iPhone 5 owners can use to replace the iOS 6 Maps. Users can also improve the application by selecting an incorrect location and selecting the “Report a Problem” option.